The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-10-04
BABY AND HIS THUMB.

A Noteworthy Instance OF An1anCho AS0s-
OIution-A Long Struggle
From the time that he was six weeks
ola bis thumb was hardly ever out OF his
month for an hour. 1t was only In tnab
way he could drop off to sleep. his IN
stant response to a caress, even When d.
mere infant. was to nestle down with ms
cheek against the beloved face anu SIP
his thumb into his mouth. Many ClIneS d
dav he would seem to fall into a revere III
that position. What single diversion or
T1oeeion in the complex of life of an adult
could be so indispensable, so hard TO re-
linouish, as this, the one pastlme, the one
ernnlovnent of baby's idle hours?
Scores of friends have said: ''You must
break it up. The longer you wait the
harder the fight will be. only one
method was ever suggested to US: 10 pun
something so disgusting or bltter upon Inc
thumb that it would be uncomfortable 10
him, and to persist in this treatment llhtl1
the association with the thumb was only
one of aversion not of comfort. ThIS was
actually tried on little klnsWOman OF MS
who bites her nails; but the soft hearted
orandsire applying the alOes could not re.
frain from assuring her it was nice
and pretending to taste it. So she accepts
it as a treat ticks it off and begs Tor hlore'
Now assafoetida is called for.
his mother, to prepare him for What
seemed the inevitable treatment, talked
with him long and earnestly, showing MN
the caIloused distorted little thumb, SO
beIpIess to resist his cruel treatment; tel
ling him that he was pushing his dear
little teeth also out OF place, ana assuring
him that it was making her very unhappy
So completely were we under the influence
of all the more experienced parents OF our
acquaintance that we had no thought of
more than momentary effect from these
words.
For the next day or two he was unac-
countably irritable, and at night especially
he tossed and fretted for hours instead OF
lapsing off at once into peaceful sIumpers
as before. Once when his mother stepped
in to soothe him she was greeted with an
angry Mamma, go way! Don want
mamma! Want kick mammal Pres
emily we realized what a struggle was
being fought through. From that day ne
never again in his waking hours put the
thumb inside the mouth, nor ever alluded
to it except to ask sympathy for the poo
little so fmumr' A week or so later
when he spent the day with some 1ntlmaC'
friends, they were astOniShed to see Mn
many times raise his hand with the ges
ture which had become involuntary, be
think himself in season, and with an Ell
fort lower it again. After few days n
was as affectionate and full of delight IL
life as ever, but for weeks he could fal
asleep only after Ions, wearisome strug
gle. Several times in this month (Janu
ary, 1887 we have found that long afte
falling asleep, say 10 or II in the evening
his thumb had slipped in. This show
how strong the habit had grown. An
vet when aroused in the effort to draw
out he repels with an indignant ''No-o-o!
ror1nd TnOuthed and wide eyed, the Cnarg
of ever once returning to the old habit.
Was not that successful appeal to
higher motive than disgust? viii not tn
success of that first great effort help tn
growth of the queen of all virtues, SOPHIE
svne-self control?-BabyhOod